We had purchased some scones and bananas last night for our breakfast. We ate those along with a pot of tea and headed out for the day. It took us about 20 minutes of driving on some interesting roads before we got to the Slieve League. After giving way to a few sheep, and having to open and close a gate behind us (to prevent the sheep from wandering off) we made it to a lookout point. The wind nearly blew us over when we got out of the car. It died down a little bit when it got blocked by a hill around the corner, but it was still quite strong. The Slieve League are the highest sea cliffs in Europe (and more than 3x the height of the Cliffs of Moher thank you very much). There was a viewpoint not far from the carpark and a trail continued onward from there up some stone steps that blended well into the surrounding landscape. We took this trail to another viewpoint, and then decided to turn around due to the very strong winds. The trail gradually got more narrow and we did not want to blow over the side. I tried to do a few longer exposure shots that required a tripod, but that was pretty much a bust since the wind was so strong and the camera moved too much.
After opening and closing the gate, minding the sheep, and driving down some sketchy roads, we continued onward to the town of Donegal. Compared to where we have been thusfar, it was a bustling metropolis. We found some metered street parking and before our ticket ran out, we did some shopping, and stopped in a place called the Blueberry Tea Room for soup, salad, sandwich, and scone before continuing on our journey.
We were on a fairly major road for some time (all the way up to 100kph!), and this was far too easy, so we exited to a narrow country road. We followed that for about 10 minutes through a valley of lush green mountains and a waterfall. We stopped briefly just to take it all in. At one point, we stopped the car in the middle of the road to get out and take pictures. We did not have to worry about any traffic, since we appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. From there we continued on through Sligo and ultimately to a place called Kilronan Castle, where we would spend the night.
To be fair, the castle has been very much upgraded and is equipped with all the modern conveniences. There was a small loop walking trail that went by a nearby lake from the castle that we walked along just as the sun went down. We had dinner in the drawing room where we acquired Guinness and Smithwicks — both which taste like butter in Ireland, and somehow nothing like their American counterparts. We returned to our room to relax and unwind before a long day’s drive tomorrow.
We were on a fairly major road for some time (all the way up to 100kph!), and this was far too easy, so we exited to a narrow country road. We followed that for about 10 minutes through a valley of lush green mountains and a waterfall. We stopped briefly just to take it all in. At one point, we stopped the car in the middle of the road to get out and take pictures. We did not have to worry about any traffic, since we appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. From there we continued on through Sligo and ultimately to a place called Kilronan Castle, where we would spend the night.
To be fair, the castle has been very much upgraded and is equipped with all the modern conveniences. There was a small loop walking trail that went by a nearby lake from the castle that we walked along just as the sun went down. We had dinner in the drawing room where we acquired Guinness and Smithwicks — both which taste like butter in Ireland, and somehow nothing like their American counterparts. We returned to our room to relax and unwind before a long day’s drive tomorrow.
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